MMM

Episode 80: The Misery Continues

It's been a tough week to watch the Cardinals and it's not that much easier to talk about it, but Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and fill-in cohost Moose Michaels (243 Podcast, @MooseMichaels) dive into the muck looking for a pearl anyway.  (Allen--@amedlock1 on the Twitter--had a rough week as well and was unable to join us for this one.)  The Cardinals are playing good teams and losing in a variety of ways, though none uglier than Thursday night against the Brewers.  What should they do to get better?  What can they do?
One of the few bright spots is Jack Flaherty, who went into the seventh with a no-hitter tonight.  Is he going to have to stabilize this rotation?  What's the problem with Carlos Martinez?  How much does the loss of Michael Wacha hurt?
It's not a Cardinal podcast if the manager doesn't get discussed.  Does Mike Matheny have the fire necessary to spark this team?  Has he lost the clubhouse?  How stable is his seat, anyway?
All this and much more.  Hopefully soon we'll have better things to talk about!

Episode 79: Statistically, It's Still a Mess

In the midst of a complete debacle against the Cubs, three bloggers come together to try to make some sense out of this Cardinals team.  Spoiler alert: they don't really get there.  However, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) are joined by Zach Gifford (Birds on the Black, @zjgifford) to talk about the week that was and what could and should happen to make things work better.  The offense is sputtering--is there any hope for Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong?  Have the Cardinals wasted good pitching and now are bracing for the regression?  And does someone need to lose their job over this?  All this and plenty more, so give us a listen, then (if you are so inclined) rate and review us on iTunes!

Episode 78: A Rough Week for the Redbirds

Even though it started off with Michael Wacha coming three outs away from a no-hitter, this hasn't been a week that the Cardinals would like to remember.  The legend and icon Red Schoendienst passed away on Wednesday, leaving a hole that will probably never be fully filled.  With Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) away this week due to family issues, Kyle Reis (Birds on the Black, @kyler416) and Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) talk about Red's legacy and what he meant to the organization, plus who might be able to pick up that torch next.
While the passing of Red is the worst thing this week, there were plenty of other bad things.  Daniel and Kyle talk about the loss of Alex Reyes for the year and what that means not only to the 2018 squad but for Reyes going forward.  Then there were two losses to the Marlins and a game against the Reds as the show was recording that was scarier than it needed to be.  What can the club do?  Is there anything the club can do?
Of course, if Kyle is joining the show, we're going to tap into his wheelhouse.  The first-year player draft was held this week and Kyle gives a quick look at some of what happened there.  Then we talk about a few prospects and finish up with the question everyone is wondering about: what is the future of Carson Kelly?
It's a longer show than normal but it's an enjoyable one, so clear your calendar and give it a listen!

Episode 77: It's The Same Old Song

Surely a wild, crazy, five-run ninth rally would spark this team and get it going!  I mean, it worked so well against the Cubs....oh.  Yet again, the Cardinals fall flat and Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) are here to talk about it.  Disappointment abounds as the Cardinals feel like a .500 team even though they have 30 wins at the 1/3 mark.  What can be done about the offense?  Is there any solution lying around or will the front office have to look outside the organization?  Where's the spark, where's the traction?
The guys also break down the depressing Alex Reyes news and spend a little time on the potential returns of Carlos Martinez and Yadier Molina, plus they get into what the future may hold for Greg Holland now that he's on the DL and how worried they are about Tommy Pham after a very rough May.  All this and much more!  Well, some more.  Occasional stuff here and there, at least.

Episode 76: Seems Like Everyone's Sleeping

Another frustrating week for the Cardinals, culminating in two losses to the Royals and another to Pittsburgh.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) are pretty confounded by it all and don't have the answers.  Well, beyond the fact that people should start hitting and doing it consistently.  That might help things.  Plenty of talk about the unfulfilling offense segues into some disappointing relief work.  Greg Holland apparently gives up two runs every time he pitches now.  John Brebbia has been struggling.  Brett Cecil probably shouldn't be called on to just get lefties out.
With all this depressing news, there is a ray of hope.  Well, make that a Reyes.  Alex Reyes has dominated throughout his rehab tour and capped it with a mind-boggling outing in Memphis.  He's coming.  Let's just hope the Cards can score some runs for him.

Episode 75: Walking Through the Wounded

Casey Stengel once said, "Can't anyone here play this game?"  Casey was questioning talent, but the question could be used to query the current health of the Cardinals.  A lot of disabled list moves this week and that gives Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) plenty to discuss.  From the loss of Paul DeJong to the future of Adam Wainwright, this week has brought a lot of shifts and questions about the future in St. Louis.  Then there are those that are currently hurt, like Dominic Leone on the downside and Alex Reyes on the up.  After the extensive medical update, Daniel and Allen get into the offense and whether or not John Mabry deserves to stick around as hitting coach.  All this while the Cardinals are beating up on the Phillies, so plenty of reaction to the game as well.  Tune in then give us a review!

Episode 74: A Little Bit of Carp-entry

It's been another roller coaster week for the St. Louis Cardinals and Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) are here to talk about it while the Cardinals tackle the San Diego Padres in one of those fun late-night West Coast games.  The big topic right now is Matt Carpenter, who is in the middle of a 1 for 21 that has his average under .150.  Which side of the divide do you come down on, the one that says there's some bad luck there or the side that really thinks that's an excuse?  How long can you let him try to figure it out?  Carpenter's not the only one with some severely bad numbers.  What do you do with a problem like Dexter?
Injuries have taken their toll over the last week, with folks like Yadier Molina, Dominic Leone, Carlos Martinez, and the #PatronPitcher taking up residence on the 10-day DL.  Should we be concerned about Carlos's injury?  Have the Cardinals figured out how to use the DL like they are using the Memphis shuttle?
All that and more (though really, just a lot on the Carpenter thing) in this week's show.  Be sure to rate and review us on iTunes if you are enjoying it!

Episode 73: Revenge of the Fifth

It's been a tough week for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Not necessarily on the field, as they've won four straight against Chicago teams (two White Sox, two Cubs) and a couple of those in dramatic fashion.  It's come at a cost, though, as four players were injured over the last two days, including what seems to be a serious injury to Yadier Molina.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) talk about the winning ways of this club even as the offense has struggled.  Some underlying stats seem to indicate Matt Carpenter is due to come out of it, but how much do we buy into that?  Luke Weaver has been rough the last few times out--can he turn it around?  What happens in the bullpen if Dominic Leone and, more notably, Bud Norris are out for any length of time?
The guys also talk a little Solo movie in honor of Star Wars Day being yesterday (when this was recorded) and spend time waiting for Molina updates by talking about the Cardinal Hall of Fame selections (stick around for Daniel's hot take about the 1980s) and the 3000th hit of Albert Pujols.  Plenty here including a lot of worry that hopefully is unfounded.  If you enjoy, please give us a rating and review on iTunes.  We'd appreciate it!

Episode 72: The Second-Most Ambitious Crossover Event in History

Fresh off another great #UCBWeekend, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) crosses the streams and brings both Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) and his Gateway co-host Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) to talk about their time in St. Louis as well as the other issues surrounding the Cardinals.  The focal pont of Blogger Day is always the Q&A with John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt III and this year was no exception.  What were Mo's thoughts about the staff changes?  Why did he feel confident in bringing up Jordan Hicks?  What does Hicks's spin rate have to do with a lab in Florida?  All this, plus talk about the Mets game that was going on while recording, Matt Carpenter, the bullpen, and much, much more!

Episode 71: Are They Trending Up?

Most of the time, the Cardinals sitting at .500 wouldn't be that interesting.  Perhaps it's still not, but after taking the first two from Cincinnati, it's easy to start thinking maybe things are starting to click.  Though, as Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (The Redbird Daily, @amedlock1) admit, when you are facing the Reds, everything looks great.  The Cards didn't use Greg Holland in a save situation on Friday--is this an issue?  How about the scuffles of the Patron Pitcher?  At least Luke Weaver has been sharp and Adam Wainwright had a surprisingly good outing.  Then there's the offense--is the set-in-stone lineup good for the club?  All this and much more crammed into a little shorter of a show.  Enjoy!